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105kg Americas Strongest Man 2020 Preview

By Paul Mouser



SHOP Cerberus Strength

Alright kiddos, your ol’ buddy Paul is back with more of that sweet savory America’s Strongest Man & Woman goodness. Today’s chat will be about the 105k men, and here’s a spoiler – 2x world champion Anthony Fuhrman is in! More on why that news is so wild momentarily, but first, a few updates from the previous two articles (on the LW and MW women):

At LW, Joelle Pecci (“Barbell Joelle”) is official for the division! Joelle got her pro via a bronze medal performance at 2018 Nationals; of note is that fact that she placed ahead of fellow pro and ASW competitor Kristin Graham that year. Has Graham made up ground since that showdown, or does Pecci still have the edge? 

As for the MW women’s division, you can virtually ignore my previous write up because not only were 4 more women added to the roster, but Arnold Pro champion Liefia Ingalls is out! Middleweight is now anyone’s game, and here are the ladies that were added to the division at ASW: Jodi Kennedy, Brittany Diamond, Casey Garland, & Erin Walklet. 

Now, onto the 105kg/231lb pro men! Last year’s edition of America’s Strongest Man 105k was an absolutely amazing contest that does not get enough love for just how great it was. The 2020 version of the show looks to carry that momentum forward, with a mind blowing roster assembled for November 7th & 8th. This division is so stacked that I am not going to list the individual accomplishments of every athlete; I’m trying to keep this under a dozen pages afterall! Here are the competitors:







James Deffinbaugh (2017 champion)

Anthony Fuhrman (2019 runner up)

Anthony Diehl

Johnny Wasiczko

Nick Cambi

Nate Bolling

Gary Piotrowski

Adam Geiger

Jesse Nelson

Tommy Sharp

Tyler Stickle

Justin Loy

Tom Mutaffis

As you can see, this is an absolutely stacked roster, and for me to give everyone a proper spotlight in this piece would require it to take the size of a George R. R. Martin novel.  Let’s take a peek at the events, and then I’ll do my best to sort out the madness, highlight a few of the many things worth mention, and take on the nigh impossible task of picking a winner. 

Circus Dumbbell Press for Reps – 95kg/210lbs

Sandbag Toss Over 15ft – 18kg/40lbs , 20kg/45lbs , 23kg/50lbs, 25kg, 55lbs

Basket Deadlift for Reps – 306kg/675lbs

Arm Over Arm Truck Pull 

Husafell Carry, Max Distance – 159kg/305lbs

Sandbag Carry & Load – 122kg/270lbs, 136kg/300lbs, 150kg/330lbs, 163kg/360lbs

Jesse Nelson may be the strongest presser in the 105kg ranks, but Circus Bell is about much more than pressing power. The athletes that excel with logs, axles, and blocks aren’t always the same ones that excel on the circus bell event. Brand new national champ Justin Loy seems like an explosive athlete based on his 2020 Nationals performance, so perhaps he can wrestle his way ahead of a few of the more experienced veterans on this event and get himself in a solid position right out of the gate. Cambi will be amongst the top of the heap if his recent training video is any indication. 

The Sandbag Toss is another event where explosive power plays a key role, with efficiency of movement being the factor that will separate the best. The 2017 winner of this show James Deffinbaugh is a guy that could do very well here, as I expect him to make no mistakes due to his cerebral approach and punctilious preparation. What can Johnny Wasiczko do on this event though? Being the elder statesman of the division, surely he has done this event or similar ones countless times; can he take down some of the young talent by putting together a flawless run? 

The Basket Deadlift may be where some of the lesser known pros can make up points on the established 105’s. Deffinbaugh has a troublesome back, Fuhrman is only 3 months removed from bicep surgery, and Nelson still finds the deadlift to be his bogey event. Piotrowski, Geiger, Sharp, etc. could very well find themselves placing ahead of the biggest names in the division on the Basket Deadlift. 

The Arm Over Arm Truck Pull is the first event of Day 2, and I’d normally have no problem picking Fuhrman for a top placing here, but with him being only 3mo removed from a surgical procedure, I can’t see him overtaking guys like Mutaffis and Cambi here. 

Husafell for Max Distance is the 5th event, and who doesn’t love a Husa? Diehl, Bolling, Stickle; everyone is a threat here. I have not seen all these guys on such an event before, but I do no recall one gentleman smoking this event at Nationals some time ago. That gentleman is Tommy Sharp, so watch for him on this event. 

The Sandbag Carry & Load closes the show for us at America’s Strongest, and this one may come down to who is willing to “red line” the hardest and get reckless. All these guys are capable of finishing the event, but I’m going to go with Piotrowski as a man to watch here. I’ve seen him on medleys before, and he is more than capable of a top 2 placing here. 

Can Deffinbaugh’s back hold up after the deadlift? How much strength will Fuhrman have recovered since his surgery? Has Loy stayed disciplined since Nationals or has he been partying? How on Earth does one pick a winner in a lineup like this? Well you came here for a prediction, so I guess I better give you one; Nick Cambi takes the gold here. 

Who do you think will grab the title of America’s Strongest Man on November 7th & 8th? Will you be watching on the Strongman Corporation live stream? Who else is excited for the most stacked AMS/ASW across the board in recent memory? 

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